1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a package for drills, and is more particularly concerned with a package for supporting and protecting microdrills.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Containers for supporting various types of tools, including drills, are well known in the art. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,962,154 of Joseph Falk, a drill kit is disclosed in which drill bodies extend through respective apertures in a central plate and are stopped from downward movement by engagement of the forward ends of the drill shanks with the upper surface of that plate. An upper plate has larger apertures for receiving the drill shanks. Upward movement of the drill bodies is prevented by the inside surface of a cover. In the open condition of the case, the cover serves as a forward rest and the junction of the wall to which the cover is attached and the bottom of the case serves as a rear rest. In this position, the drill bits tilt, the apertures for the shanks being greater than the cross-sectional dimensions of the shanks, so that the drill bodies receive torque, perhaps even a snapping action, at the junction of the drill bodies with the shanks. This structure cannot serve for supporting and protecting microdrills in that the extremely fine drill bodies would rupture when the case is opened and pivoted to the above-described condition for access to the drills.
Joseph Schneider in U.S. Pat. No. 3,469,687 discloses a container for packaging needles in which the smaller, forward end of the needle is received in a vertical passageway with the needle point bearing against a closed end of the passageway. At the shank end of the needle, a resilient cushion is disposed between the ends of the shanks and an upper wall of the container. This type of package is also unsuitable for microdrills in that, again, the drill bodies are extremely delicate and would rupture if subjected to this type of self-support.
In U.S. Pat. No. 1,187,566 Leila M. Taylor discloses an aseptic container for long handle broaches used, for example, by dentists. In this structure, a cavity is provided with a dividing wall having depending hollow tapered cones for receiving complementally shaped broach handles. The broach itself extends through the open bottom end of the cone. With this structure, therefore, the broaches are held spaced apart in a depending condition and are accessible from the handle or shank end when an upper cover is removed.
Charles E. Studen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,367,483 discloses a container with a sliding cover for housing elongate bodies, such as drill bits. A resilient liner has horizontal grooves therein for receiving the drill bits which are removed by depressing the rear end of the shank to elevate the drill body out of the container. This is unacceptable for microdrills in that the drill bodies are fragile and should not be handled with the fingers, as would be required to remove a drill bit after depression of the rear end of the shank.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,072,244 Joseph L. Smith discloses a display capsule for dental burrs which comprises a transparent bottle with a screw cap. The shanks of the dental burrs are received in bores. To remove a burr, the cap is removed to release the upper end of a rod connected in the burr holder. The burr holder is spring loaded so as to move upwardly and move the burrs out of the bottle. The dentist may then select and remove the desired burr. This is unacceptable for microdrills in that one is required to remove a drill by grasping the drill body end.
Conventionally, packaging for microdrills has been somewhat along the lines of Smith in which a plate has a plurality of bores therein for receiving the shafts of the microdrills. A pair of covers are pivoted to the plate to close about the same and protect the microdrills in such a manner that they do not contact one another and are in a contact free cavity. However, with this type of package, the microdrills must be removed from the drill body end. Further complicating this matter, the shafts must have a fairly high frictional contact with the bores so that the microdrills are not inadvertently moved out of the bores, which would result in breakage of the delicate drill bodies.